Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1887-06-17
THE PRESIDENT RECONSTDERS MS
ICTTON aS 10 THE RESTORE
TIDN REBEL fIIGS.

The dispatch sent by our Governor For
| sker to President Cleveland, reinforced by
spontaneous expressions of patriotic senti-
ment in various portions OF the country.
! has had the effect to induce the president
! to reScind his order in regard 10 the dispo-
sition OF the flags captured by the union
| forces during the late war. The prompt
: ness and vigor Of Governor F"rsker's ac-
ton concerning this matter brings him out
| in a strong and most honorable pnsition
before the people, and they will not fail to
show their appreciation of his high and
manly qualities. in the politica! contest
now pending in this state.
In letter sent To the secretary of war
an Thursday, the President said
have today considered with more care
than when the subject was orally presented
me, the action ut your department direct
ing letters To Ice addressed Ia the Governors
Of all the states Offering To return. II de
sired to the loyal states the nion flags
captured during the war of the rebel
lion by the Confederate forces and
afterward recovered by government
troops, ami 10 the Confeder-
ates the tiags captured by the Union forces.
all ot which tor many years have been
packed in boxes and stored in the cellar and
attic of the war department. am of the
opinion that the return OF the flags in the
manner thus contemplated Is not author
lied by existing law, nor justified a. an eX-
ecutiye act. | request, therefore, that no
further steps be- taken in the matter except
10 examine and inventory these flags and
adopt proper measures for thtsr preseTNa-
tion. ANY direction As To the final dispo-
Sition OF them should originate with con
gress
let Us do the president justice 10 say
that he has had the moral courage to rs-
consider his action, under fire, OF If We
cannot concede his moral courage. let us AT
least admit that he has had the horse sense
10 SEE that he had made fatal blunder and
has tried Ia reciity il. All See the eN-
Confederaies themselves that the al
most universal protest 10 this
meditated outrage un patriotism
and decency. was we'll founded, and il is
highly creitable IL the American people
aS showing their intelligence. virtue and
patriotism that this protest was prompt
and spontaneous.
In connection with all this. We call atten-
ton to the fact that the Albany N. "
Press and hni"h'rtochsT, of June 18th.
aScribes To- Adjutant General Drum. an Off
cisl associate of General Phil. Sheridan. a
desire TO withdraw from public view all
the mementoes OF the late internecine
strife" and that he had prevailed upon
the president to promise Adjutant Gen
eral Johnstone. of North Carolina. that ali
the flags taken from the southern armies
during the late war. shall be returned to
the states represented by them respectively
al all early day" The Press aud knickcI-
buckeT, which is 4 very courteous but thor
uughly independent and non-partisan
paper, protests vigorously against the ac-
lion.
Whoever originated the idea, and what
ever may have been the motives back "f il,
the act itself Was a mountainous mistake
and gross blunder and the only kind
thing that can Ice said of the presidents
course ia connection with it, is that he has
tried to r,.ctitiy IL